Humans can be wildly superstitious at times, whether it’s the fear of something bad happening on Friday the 13th, touching wood for good luck or to ward off bad luck, or avoiding crossing paths with a black cat, there are some weird and wonderful superstitions many people adhere to.
Gamblers and casino-goers can be even more superstitious than the regular man too, and many have adopted certain superstitions in the hope that they will help boost their gameplay and achieve their next big win, or to avoid giving themselves bad luck on the casino floor.
Some of these superstitions have evolved more into habits than beliefs, but either way, we wanted to have a look at some of the strangest casino superstitions from all around the world.
Certain Chinese cultures believe that if someone is reading a book in your vicinity while gambling, then you are deemed to lose. In Chinese, the word for lose (shū) sounds similar to the word for book (shīqù), which has encouraged some superstitious players to think there is a link between the words.
According to some players, an itchy right palm means they could be in for a jackpot win! However, an itchy left palm correlates to losing. This superstition is said to have originated in Serbia, where itchy hands are believed to be a sign of luck
A common belief among superstitious players is that whistling while playing will bring bad luck. This superstition comes from British sailors who believed that whistling would bring about dangerous strong winds.
Aside from the superstition, whistling while playing will also be annoying to the other players, and if it causes a disruption, you could be asked to leave, which certainly isn’t lucky! Maybe stick to online gambling if you’re a whistler!
It’s a trick often seen in the movies, where a player blows on a pair of dice before throwing or rolling them. This comes from the early days of gambling when some players would try using trick dice, and blowing on them would ensure that the dice worked fairly and correctly.
This is certainly not a superstition we’ve ever seen in Coral Island Casino! This bizarre superstition derives from South Africa, where traditional medicine practitioners believed that the smoke from dried vulture brains would grant visions into the future, which gamblers believed would give them an edge in the casino!
Entering a casino via the main entrance is seen by some players as a bad omen. This is believed to have originated from the MGM Casino in Las Vegas, which featured a huge door that resembled a lion’s mouth - Leo the Lion, the famous mascot of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Some players thought this was literally walking into the mouth of the beast, and opted to use the side entrance instead. MGM changed the front entrance to their casino, but the superstition stuck, and many players still use the side or rear entrances of casinos.
Most people will have heard of lucky charms, which can include rings, pieces of jewellery, lucky rabbit’s feet, or four-leaf clover pendants.
One of the strangest must be the rabbit's foot. This lucky charm comes from the Celtic tribes who believed that rabbits, which spend much of their time underground, could communicate with the gods and spirits. It certainly isn’t lucky for the rabbit!
Another popular lucky charm, especially in East Asia, is to wear red, considered to be a lucky colour. In Asia, brides were red as it is believed it brings prosperity and wealth. Others believe that red brings good fortune and luck, and many casino-goers wear something red for good luck when gambling.
Chinese players will often wear red shoes, shirts, and even red underwear when visiting a casino. And always bet on red on the roulette wheel!
Crossing your legs while gambling is a definite no for many players. It is believed by some superstitious gamblers that crossing your legs while sitting at the table will cross away their winning streak.
Avoiding counting your money at the casino table is another popular superstition, which comes from when gamblers would never count their stacks of chips until the poker game had ended. It was believed that counting your money before the end of a game would bring bad luck.
In the US and some other cultures, $50 bills are believed to bring bad luck. This originates from when the mafia in the US would bury their victims in the Nevada desert, after placing a $50 bill in the victim’s pocket. This led to gamblers seeing $50 bills as bad luck.
Also, a large share of the counterfeit money in circulation in the US is the $50 bill, and many stores will refuse to accept them.
All around the world, different cultures have different lucky and unlucky numbers, and these numbers are often used or avoided in casinos by gamblers. In China, 2, 3, 6, and 8 are considered to be lucky numbers, while the number 4 is said to bring bad luck because the Chinese word for the number 4 (Si) sounds similar to the word for death (Siwang).
In Western cultures, the number 13 is believed to be unlucky, and Friday the 13th is thought to be a day of misfortune and even death! But in Italy, the number 13 is considered to be a lucky number.
Gamblers lending each other money can be a common practice, but some players believe that lending money to an opponent will bring them bad luck, apparently interfering unfavourably with their game.
According to German players, there is a proverb that states ‘unlucky at cards, lucky in love’, meaning you can never have both - you either win at the casino or you find love. It has led some players to believe that to maintain a winning streak they have to eschew personal relationships or to lose the game to find true love!
Which of these superstitions have you heard of or seen? Do you have any superstitions or habits when visiting the casino? A lucky number, or a lucky piece of clothing? Or make sure you have a good supply of dried vulture brains?
Of course, superstitions have no physical bearing on whether you win or lose in the casino, but they can have a physiological effect on the gamblers who believe in them. It’s always important to remember that win or lose at the casino, it is nothing to do with superstition, as most people win by pure chance!
Although there’s never any harm in wearing your lucky red underpants!
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